Extending status to stay when receiving govt. benefits

[renzo]

Hi,

I'm applying to extend my status as a visitor while I wait for my permanent residency application to finalize. I applied in May last year and am close to done with the process. Finished medicals and waiting for the passport request. However my initial extended visitor status is ending soon and I'm going to re-apply.

I am currently receiving benefits from Ontario works (welfare) as my employment insurance got over earlier in march. Will putting this piece of information work negatively towards my application? I have to state how much i have and what the source is. I am very stressed as to whether based on this my application might be refused?

The processing time is 52 days for online application so i might get my PR before getting a reply to this application. Any suggestions on the best route to take in this situation? Should i send a paper application which will take 102 days?

Thanks

 

[ujbaby]

Hi,

I'm applying to extend my status as a visitor while I wait for my permanent residency application to finalize. I applied in May last year and am close to done with the process. Finished medicals and waiting for the passport request. However my initial extended visitor status is ending soon and I'm going to re-apply.

I am currently receiving benefits from Ontario works (welfare) as my employment insurance got over earlier in march. Will putting this piece of information work negatively towards my application? I have to state how much i have and what the source is. I am very stressed as to whether based on this my application might be refused?

The processing time is 52 days for online application so i might get my PR before getting a reply to this application. Any suggestions on the best route to take in this situation? Should i send a paper application which will take 102 days?

Thanks

i wonder how ur eligible for ontario works before becoming a pr???

 

[IrishinCanada]

i wonder how ur eligible for ontario works before becoming a pr???

I was going to ask the same question? ???

 

[renzo]

Well I was here under a post graduate work permit and after my work permit expired and no pr response in sight I was dumb struck as what I should do. Then a friend said I should go apply for employment insurance and I thought how can i be eligible with no status.

I still went and and applied and got employment insurance!! this is because i paid for it through each pay for a year and a half (compulsory i think for everyone, it gets deducted with taxes from your pay). Therefore I got that. Now when that ended I had no choice but look for other means... as I have no other support financially. I thought I had no chance but I went to find out with ontario works, surprisingly on their website there is an option for permanent resident applicants.

I set an appointment online and when and met with them. After analyzing a lot of things (took an hour) they said I was eligible. I am now getting that benefit starting yesterday!

Its peanuts but its survival atleast. Hopefully this is over soon. So any idea as to whether it'll negatively effect my application to extend status as a visitor?

If anyone needs any info on how to go about this ontario works i can try to help

 

[ujbaby]

Well I was here under a post graduate work permit and after my work permit expired and no pr response in sight I was dumb struck as what I should do. Then a friend said I should go apply for employment insurance and I thought how can i be eligible with no status.

I still went and and applied and got employment insurance!! this is because i paid for it through each pay for a year and a half (compulsory i think for everyone, it gets deducted with taxes from your pay). Therefore I got that. Now when that ended I had no choice but look for other means... as I have no other support financially. I thought I had no chance but I went to find out with ontario works, surprisingly on their website there is an option for permanent resident applicants.

I set an appointment online and when and met with them. After analyzing a lot of things (took an hour) they said I was eligible. I am now getting that benefit starting yesterday!

Its peanuts but its survival atleast. Hopefully this is over soon. So any idea as to whether it'll negatively effect my application to extend status as a visitor?

If anyone needs any info on how to go about this ontario works i can try to help

I believed receiving government financial aids of any form will affect ur pr application. but i am not sure about ur situation since u've already applied for ur pr b4 such but i guess more experienced members can help u with ur concerns.

 

[jsm0085]

I'm kind of shocked they are giving it to you while you are on a visitors visa? Visitors visas require that someone is able to support themselves for the duration of there stay? Are you sure you made them aware you only had a visitors visa at the moment?

 

[renzo]

Well I was surprised too. I had a post graduate work permit and have been here 9 years. I am on a visitor status which is different from a visitor visa. There is a complete category for people who've applied for their permanent residency. I suppose I'm not the only one, its perhaps just not well known.

Well I've applied with the paper application, the processing time is 102 days, hopefully the pr will be sorted before that. ???

I'll update once I hear one way or the other for future queries.

 

[SenoritaBella]

If you need to show proof of funds to extend your visitor status, that may be a problem if you do not have sufficient funds, which would be a reason one is receiving welfare benefits. Anyway, since you've applied just wait for the outcome.